Epilogue of Ib
by Joker Extreme
Summary: A series of short epilogues for each of Ib's multiple endings.
1. Ib All Alone

Chapter 1: _Ib All Alone_

The garden is like a maze twisting and turning in different ways. In this fabricated world made from the works of Weiss Guertena, Ib stands alone, spinning round and round with a tiny blue doll in her hands. Laughter comes from their play, but Ib's lips are unmoving.

"Whee! This is so much fun! Are you having fun, Ib?" the doll asks in a soft, yet eerie voice. Ib says nothing. She only nods, smiling softly all the while. "We'll be together forever, right? I'd like that very much."

Ib remains silent. She can't seem to think of the right words to say.

"Ib!"

Ib slows down and comes to a stop, still holding the doll. As she stops, Ib's mother approaches her daughter.

"That's enough horsing around. You'll get sick doing that." Ib runs up to her mother and embraces her. She chuckles. "It's good to see you too, dear. Now come. Why don't we go to your favorite place?" Ib nods excitedly. Her mother begins to walk, taking Ib by the hand. Ib does the same with her doll, dragging it behind her.

* * *

Ib's most favorite place in the world is the museum, which always holds an exhibition of Guertena's finest works. When she's there, she's more at home than anywhere. As Ib and her mother arrive, Ib immediately begins to run off on her own.

"Don't wander too far!" Ib's mother calls to her.

Ib explores the entire museum, carefully examining each and every painting and sculpture and their descriptions. Whenever the doll asks questions about something, Ib is ready with a detailed response. She's studied every single book about Guertena and considers herself an expert on everything about the artist. After going through each work, she runs up to the second floor to admire her most favorite painting, "Fabricated World".

"This is your favorite…right, Ib?" Ib nods with a huge smile on her face. "I don't like it. It's too scary for me. Who cares about another world? This one works just fine." Annoyed, Ib sticks her tongue out at the doll, who giggles evilly, before going back to the painting.

"…?" She looks closer at the painting and notices that the colors are shifting, and the painting starts to form different things.

"What is it, Ib?"

Ib ignores her doll and continues to look at "Fabricated World". She begins to see images of different people looking at the painting back at her. She sees a couple with a newborn baby. She sees an older boy with a ragged coat with a girl about his age clinging to his arm. First the girl's a brunette. Then blonde. The girl keeps changing.

"…Ib?"

The painting keeps changing, showing her different worlds. Then, slowly, the painting begins to fade. The colors wash out, leaving behind not a white canvas, but a blank one. A canvas of nothing. Only one thing remains: a girl. Ib. A reflection of her is revealed in the painting.

"Ib!"

"…" Slowly, Ib reaches out to the painting as her reflection does the same. Their hands nearly touch…

_**"IB!**_"

Another hand reaches out and grabs Ib's shoulder. Startled, Ib turns to see that her mother has found her. "There you are, Ib. What did I tell you about wandering off like that? I was worried sick!"

"…" She looks back at the painting and sees that it's exactly the same as it's always been.

"Is something wrong, Ib?"

Ib slowly turns back to her mother. After a moment, she shakes her head.

"Good. Now why don't we go home and have dinner? I'm sure you're very hungry." She takes her daughter by the hand as they walk away from the painting.

Ib seems puzzled. She was just doing something important, but she couldn't remember what it was. It was something about a painting…

"I love you, Ib."

Before long, Ib shakes her head. _It's just my imagination._

"I love you too, Mommy."

Ib continues to walk down the black corridor, the blue doll dragging at her feet. She wanders into the fabricated world of Weiss Guertena all alone.


	2. Forgotten Portrait

_Chapter 2: Forgotten Portrait_

The museum curator spends her time every day making rounds in the museum. Despite the security guards and the cameras, she feels more comfortable inspecting each work of art and investigating suspicious figures herself. Many of her coworkers poke fun at her for this, but she always responds the same way: "This is my museum."

Some of her favorite works to pass by are the ones from famed artist Weiss Guertena. She was especially proud the time her museum was chosen for an exhibition of his work. Since then, many of Guertena's paintings and sculptures have been lost to high-class auctions and other museums, but she has managed to keep a few of her favorites.

As she passes by one of the paintings, she spots a familiar face: a teenage girl with semi-long brown hair red eyes. She's wearing a sleeveless red shirt, white pants and a backpack. The curator recognizes her right away, not only from her clothes and face, but also the lemon-flavored lollipop in her mouth.

"Ib, how many times have I told you that food is strictly forbidden in the museum?" Startled, Ib turns to the curator. She then quickly glances at the lollipop in her mouth. With a guilty look on her face, she takes out, revealing an empty stick.

"Oh, Ib…" She stops in front of the painting beside Ib. "You know, I've seen you in front of this exact same painting every day for the past five years. Honestly, have you ever looked at any of the other works in the museum?" Ib pauses to think for a moment, then shrugs. "Right." They both turn back to the painting. It depicts a young man in a torn blue coat. He's leaned himself against the wall, but is hunched over, as if asleep.

"Weiss Guertena's _Forgotten Portrait_." The curator states proudly. It's her most prized possession at the museum. "I'm sure you've read about it, Ib. Well, at least you've read about as much as you possibly could. There's very little information about it; only that Guertena is responsible for its existence. There isn't even a proper year of origin. Notice the clothes? Although worn out, it's obvious that they're modern; clothes that shouldn't have existed in Guertena's lifetime. To this day, art enthusiasts are baffled as to what Guertena used as a reference for this painting. That's what makes it so valuable."

Ib continues to admire the painting. "He seems…sad."

"Yes, he does. That's another one of this painting's mysteries." The curator says, with a hint of pity in her tone. "There are hundreds of different theories. Some say that Guertena had lost a lover at the time. Others say it was his first work that he discarded because he didn't think he'd make it as an artist. What do you think of it, Ib?"

"…I think…that he doesn't want to be forgotten."

"What do you mean?"

"He wants to be remembered. People forgot about him, and he's sad because of it."

"Well, he did become a famous artist. I think he _is_ well remembered." The curator says with a chuckle.

Ib shakes her head. "No. Not Guertena. I'm talking about the boy in the painting."

"Hm?" The curator laughs. "That may be true as well! But what makes you say that?"

Ib pauses. "I think…I know him."

"The boy?"

"I think I met him a long time ago…but I can't remember who he is."

The curator can't help but laugh a little. "You sure have a wild imagination, Ib! But I like that! You have a good heart."

Ib turns to the curator and smiles. "Thank you, ma'am." She says with a soft, slightly embarrassed tone.

"You're quite welcome!" Eve then takes Ib by the hand. "Come with me, Ib. If you like Guertena, I'm sure you'll love this other work of his!"

* * *

Ib stares at the large mural. It's mostly black, but has several different features. Ib looks to one corner and sees a painting within the painting of a woman in a red dress. Another corner has a red rose. "What's this one?"

"It's called _Fabricated World._ It's truly a fascinating one. It's said that artists do what they do in order to escape their own lives. This is Guertena's interpretation of that idea. The detail on this one is astounding. It's as if Guertena truly wanted the viewer to experience what he did so long ago."

Ib examines the painting closely. "That's _The Lady in Red,_ right?" she asks, pointing to the lower right corner of the painting. "And that's _Embodiment of Spirit_."

"So you _have_ seen the other works here at the museum!" the curator says with a smile.

Ib begins to examine the painting's details. "This is like Guertena's legacy. He has so many other works, but this one is a culmination of all of them. If you wanted to explore the mind of Weiss Guertena, all you needed to do was look into this painting."

The curator seems astonished. "My, Ib, you really have a knack for this! You remind me of when _I_ was your age!" All of a sudden an idea pops into her head. "Say, Ib. You may be a little young, but what would you think about working here as my personal assistant?"

Ib gasps and turns to the curator in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes! You could help me watch over the museum, and you could even help out with tour guides! What do you say?"

"You'd really let me do that?"

"Well, of course! This is my museum, after all! I want the best and brightest helping me out! Just talk it over with your parents."

Ib squeals excitedly before embracing the curator. "Thank you, ma'am."

The curator laughs. "Oh, you don't have to call me 'ma'am'. That makes me sound old! Besides, you come around here so often, I'm surprised we're not already good friends!"

Ib looks at the curator curiously. "So what should I call you then?"

She smiles at Ib. "You can just call me Eve."

At that moment, the lights in the museum begin to flicker. "Hm?" Eve looks around curiously. "That's never happened before." She thinks out loud as she takes out a walkie-talkie and holds it up to her mouth. "Anyone else see that? Someone go check the circuit breaker." She waits for a moment, but no one responds. "Security?" Still no response. "Hello? Hello, anyone? _Hello!_"

Ib looks at Eve. "Is something wrong?"

Eve places the walkie-talkie back at her side. "I'm not sure…" She looks around curiously, not finding anything out of the ordinary. Then she looks at _Fabricated World_, and notices something out of the ordinary. A small amount of blue paint has spilled out, seemingly from behind the frame. "What is that...?" She moves in closer to examine it.

"…This place…"

"Hm? What did you say, Ib?"

"I think…I've been here before…" She gasps in shock and falls to the ground, grabbing her head. Images begin leaking into her memory. Images of mazes and moving statues and different colored plush bunnies. But the most powerful memories are those of a young man, the one featured in her favorite painting, _Forgotten Portrait._

Ib lets out a small whisper. "His name…is Gar-"_*BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG*_

"Wah!" Eve falls backward in shock. "Wh-What in the world was that?"

Ib remains in silence, then slowly turns her gaze downward to the floor.

Eve turns to Ib. "Ib? What are you looking at?" she looks down as well. "Ah!" To her surprise, Eve sees a series of red letters splayed out on the floor.

"WELCOME BACK"

"'Welcome back'?" she turns to Ib. "Ib, what is this?"

Ib is still in shock. "I…" _*BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG*_

"Again?" The two look back down on the floor. "Huh?"

"…"

"DO YOU WANT TO SAVE HIM?"


	3. Together, Forever

_Chapter 3: Together, Forever_

Ib enters her studio as she dons her paint-stained lucky apron. This is her favorite place to be. Whenever she enters her studio to paint, she feels content. On a good day, she can spend hours painting undisturbed by the outside world. There are even times when she doesn't have anything to paint at all, but she happily spends her time just staring at a canvas, searching for some inspiration. However, those times are few and far between. Ib always has something to paint. And today is no different.

Ib had been planning this painting for months. She's had very little time to herself thanks to exhibitions and various interviews, and she was happy now to finally have time to herself. Ib didn't take any chances. The night before, she prepared herself by removing the batteries from her house and cell phones. Her computer was off and she filled the mini-fridge in her studio with snacks and her meals for the day so she could take a break in the same room. She also had a small paint can filled with lollipops. They were all her favorite flavor: lemon. Finally, Ib made sure, above all else, to stock up on blue paint. Her painting was going to be blue.

Satisfied with her preparations, Ib takes a deep breath as she pulls out a lollipop from the paint can and unwraps it before putting it into her mouth. She then takes her paintbrush and dips it into a freshly-opened can of blue paint. She was ready to start.

The time it takes Ib to finish a painting has her critics astounded. She's been praised for her ability to put such perfect detail into each of her works in such little time spent of each of them. There was once a rumor that she had a group of people collaborating with her to create some of her works, but it has since been debunked when Ib once recorded herself working in real time.

Hours pass as Ib works. Even though Ib prepares herself with food, there have been times when she's run on water and lemon-flavored lollipops alone. Her mother's often scolded her for not eating properly. However, she always manages to eat breakfast and dinner. But as the sun begins to set, Ib wipes the sweat from her brow and decides it's time for a small break. As she opens her mini-fridge and removes from it a turkey sandwich, her doorbell rings. Ib takes a bite of her sandwich and places it back in the fridge before making her way to the door of her studio. She barely opens it a crack before…

"IB!" The door bursts open from the other side and Mary, Ib's sister, jumps at Ib and embraces her before they both crash onto the ground. "Your sister's back from Hawaii! I tried calling but you didn't pick up and I thought it was weird because you always pick up on the first ring when I call so I figured you might be here working on another painting so I came here as soon as my plane touched down and I was right! Ooh, it's so good to see you, Ib, I missed you so much!" Mary holds her sister tight.

Although Ib had cleared her schedule for the day to paint, she always made time to see her sister/best friend in the whole world, especially if she had been away for an extended period of time. She hugs her sister back. "It's good to see you too, Mary!"

"Hm?" Mary looks down to see Ib wearing her lucky apron. "EEEEK!" Mary immediately rolls off of Ib onto the floor next to her, brushing off her black sleeveless turtleneck. "IIIIb, you have to warn me when you're wearing your apron; I just bought this!"

"Hmph. I'll try to be more careful next time you decide to tackle me to the ground!" The two begin to laugh. Afterwards, they get up and give each other kisses. "So how was your trip?"

"Oh, it was fantastic! The beaches were fantastic and the weather was absolutely wonderful! I just wish I had more time to myself, but between my husband and filming, you know how it is! You would've loved it! Hey, I'm done filming in two weeks! We have to go Hawaii together, just you and me! I'll take you to all of the best spots!"

Ib smiles. "I'm looking forward to it!" As flippant as Mary could be, she always kept her promises. Ib would have to remind herself to clear her schedule two weeks from now.

"So…can your sister get an advance preview of the great Ib's next artistic endeavor?"

"Go right ahead."

"Yay!" Mary starts looking around Ib's studio, examining the various works and tools laid about. "You know, you've been obsessed with painting ever since we saw that Guertena exhibition when we were kids."

"Wow," Ib exclaimed. "I didn't think you remembered that!"

Mary laughs out loud. "Of course I do, Ib! You wouldn't stop talking about it for the longest time! Your college essay, your graduation speech, you were crazy about the guy!"

"Is there a point to this, Mary?"

"I'm just glad that you were able to make something out of it."

"Aw…" Ib blushes a little. "Thanks, Mary. But don't you remember? You're the one who told me that I should start painting myself instead of obsessing over someone else's work. I have to thank you for that, too."

Mary winks at her sister and smiles. "I've always got your back, sis!" She stops in front of one painting. "Is this the one you're working on right now?"

Ib walks up to her sister. "Yes, it is." She says proudly. "It's nearly finished, but not quite. It still needs a name." The painting depicts a young man in a blue coat standing in front of a wall of vines and roses. The roses are a deep shade of blue, but many of them are withered and dying. The only whole rose is in the man's hand. The man holds the rose out in front of him in such a way that obscures his face.

Mary examines the man in the painting. "Ooh, that guy's cute! Who is he, huh? Your boyfriend, maybe? Eh? Eeeeh~?" She starts poking at Ib.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Stop it, Mary! It's just a painting! You know I don't have a boyfriend yet!"

Mary sighs. "You know, we really need to do something about that. Anyway, have you thought yet about what to name it?"

Ib stops to think. "No. I don't think I had anything in mind. It takes a long time for me to think of a title."

"Hm…ah! I got it! How about _Blue Rose Guy_?"

Ib immediately laughs at the name. "I'm _not _calling it that, Mary."

"How about _Field of Blue Roses_? _Mysterious Blue_?"

"Come on, Mary."

"Hold on, I know I can think of something good…" Mary takes one more look at the painting. "…_Faded Blue Memories._"

Ib looks at Mary curiously. "Where'd you think of that?"

"I dunno," said Mary as she turns to look back at the painting. "Doesn't he seem kinda familiar to you? Like someone we met a long time ago?"

Ib looks at the painting with Mary. "…I think so. But I can't seem to put my finger on it."

"Me neither…"

"He's been stuck in my head for weeks, and I don't even know who he is…" They both stare at the painting for a while.

"…Ahhh, this is getting too weird!" Mary grabs her head in frustration. "Whatever! Hey Ib, why don't we go out together tonight? We have a lot of catching up to do!"

After staring at the painting a little longer, Ib turns to her sister. "You know, that sounds like exactly what I need."

"Great! You go get ready, I'll be right here waiting!"

"Hee, all right then!" Ib removes her apron and makes her way out of the studio. "I just need to wash up a bit and get my bag, so don't get comfy!"

"Just be quick about it!" Mary calls as Ib leaves the room. Mary, all by herself stares at Ib's new painting. _Why do you seem so familiar…?_ At that moment, a single tear leaves Mary's eye. "Eh?" Another tear falls. And another. Before long, tears begin streaming from her eyes. _Wh…Why am I crying?_ Even though she realizes that she's crying, Mary does nothing. She simply continues to stare at Ib's painting. A painting of a man that she feels she should know. A man to whom she feels she owes something. Everything. "Th…Thank yo-"

"_Faded Blue Memories…_"

"Ah!" Mary quickly dries her tears away before she turns to her sister, who has prepared herself for the night.

"_Faded Blue Memories_…I like it! I think I'll call it that. Thanks for the idea, sis!"

"…Hm. Does that mean I get a little credit for it?"

"Ha, ha! We'll talk about it over dinner. Now come on. Let's get going!"

"Right." Mary runs up to her sister. "…Ib?"

"Yeah?" Mary places her hand on Ib's cheek.

"You know that I love you, right? I love you so much…"

Ib stares at Mary questioningly. "Huh? Of course I do. And I love you, too! Remember the promise that we made when we were kids?"

"…We promised that we'd be together forever."

"That's right! We're always going to be together, Mary."

"Oh, Ib…" The two hug each other.

"Now come on! Let's have a little sisters' night out!"

"Hee! Right!" Ib starts ahead of Mary. Mary, stopping for a moment, turns to look back into the studio, at the painting that is now turned away from her.

"…"

"Mary! You coming?"

"Coming, Ib!" Mary turns the lights of behind her and closes the door. She catches up to the sister that she loves so much and links arms with her. They smile at each other and continue to walk together.


	4. Memory's Crannies

_**WAIT! BEFORE YOU START READING!**_

I usually like listening to music as I write. But as I write Ib, I find it difficult to listen to most of the songs I have without it being inappropriate. That's when I found this:

watch?v=69Dix-v4h-I

This is a YouTube link that takes you to a 15-minute long extended version of the title screen music for _Ib._ I found it extremely appropriate, and even emotionally gratifying, to write and edit _Epilogue of Ib_ to this song. It's not necessary nor integral to the story, but if you'd like, you can read some, or even all of this chapter (and even re-read some of the others) with this song playing in the background. And as always, music or no, I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I do writing them.

* * *

_Chapter 4: Memory's Crannies_

"Ha, ha, ha! What happened next, Granny?" The girl listens intently as her grandmother tells her another amazing tale of her travels. She absolutely loves her grandmother. In school, her class was once assigned to write a small essay on what their favorite thing to do was. Hers was an annual ritual.

Each year in July, for two whole weeks, her family would stay at their grandmother's mansion as a vacation. In that time, the family takes the time to explore the nearby forest or relax at the lake. The grandmother joins in as much as she can, but old age has taken a toll on her body, and she can't move around as frequently as she once did. When she stays in, the little girl takes the opportunity to listen to some of her grandmother's fantastic exploits around the world.

"Yay!" The little girl claps as her grandmother finishes telling her story. "That was a great story, Granny!"

The grandmother laughs lightly. "Really, I still can't believe you like listening to me prattle on about my life. Your brother and sister lost interest long before they were your age!"

"What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Hmph! They're just stupid!"

"Now don't say that about your siblings." The grandmother said, wagging her finger.

"But who _wouldn't_ want to listen to your stories? You've been all over the world, Granny! You ate so many different foods and made so many different friends and had so many different adventures! I love hearing about all of them!"

"Oh thank you, dearie! I hope one day, I get to listen to one of your own adventures!"

"Yeah, yeah! I'm gonna travel the world just like you!"

"I look forward to that day!" The grandmother says with a smile.

The little girl blushes slightly. "Hey Granny, can we play Treasure Hunt?"

"Now? But you'll be leaving soon! Shouldn't you pack with everyone else?"

"I packed up last night so we could spend more time together! And this'll be my last game for a whole year! Please? _Pretty please?"_

"…Oh, all right! How could a grandmother resist that face?" The grandmother lifts her wrist to check her watch, waiting for the second hand to reach 12. "Your time limit is 15 minutes. Ready?"

The girl sets herself, prepared to run. "Ready!"

"And…go!" And in less than a second, the girl makes a mad dash out of the room and down the hall.

* * *

Treasure Hunt is one of her favorite games to play at her grandmother's house. Under a 15-minute time limit, she has to make her way up to the attic, find something that interests her, and bring it back to her grandmother. Depending on the object, the grandmother will tell her a story as to how she came across it.

The girl runs through various hallways and corridors. She opens the secret passageways that her grandmother's servants use to move around swiftly and discreetly. On good days, there's no one using the passageways, and today was one of those days. For some reason, her grandmother had given all of her servants the day off, so the shortcuts were free for her use.

After five years of playing, the little girl has become an expert at traversing the house. She's memorized every inch of the house and how she can use it to reach the attic faster, allowing for more time to search. She's able to make it to the attic in 45 seconds flat.

Up in the highest floor, she dashes at the cord dangling from the ceiling, jumps, and grabs it, swinging forward and opening up the way to the attic. She uses one more burst of energy to scramble her way up the ladder. 44 seconds. After a short breath and a self-pat on the back, she's ready to explore.

Walking through the attic, the little girl marvels at the stacks of boxes, filled with various souvenirs and gifts from around the world. Her grandmother had always been a pack rat, which made it all the more simple to find something to bring back. But one of the problems that the girl faced now was that she wasn't sure what to take back with her. Some of the bigger ones that she had an eye on were too heavy to carry, and many of the smaller ones she had already taken. And some just plain didn't interest her.

"Hm…" She takes one of the boxes closest to her and looks through it. A small wooden statue of a dragon...a ceramic bowl...there were several different little trinkets, but she can't find anything that sticks out. This is her last Treasure Hunt for a whole year. She wants to find something truly special.

At that moment, a shadowy figure passes her. The girl catches it in the corner of her eye and quickly turns around.

"…I-Is someone there?" the girl calls out cautiously. She hears no response. Again, something moves just out of sight. She turns again. "Jack, is that you? I'm gonna tell Mom on you again!" Still no response. Once again, the girl senses something moving. "Aha!" She turns to where she saw it and runs after it. But as she runs in one direction, the shadow moves another. The girl keeps spinning round and round in circles, trying to catch the mysterious figure.

"S…Stop running, you…" She's tired and short of breath, and has to stop running. She rests her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Slowly she recomposes herself, and she looks up to see the figure standing in front of her. He's standing in front of a sunlit window, obscuring his features. She can only make out a long, torn coat. And she knows now that it's not her brother.

"Who…Who are you?" The girl waits for an answer, but the man doesn't respond. "Are you a friend of Granny's?" He still doesn't answer. There is a long pause between them. The girl can't seem to turn away from him. Eventually, the man begins to move towards her. "St-Stay back!" she yells. She steps back a little, ready to make a run for it if she has to. The man raises a closed hand to her as he stops in front of her. The girl flinches and shuts her eyes, but the man does nothing.

"…Hm?" She slowly reopens her eyes and looks at him. "You…You're not gonna hurt me?"

The man doesn't respond. He opens his hand up, revealing something.

Still wary, the girls slowly inches toward him, curious to see what the man has in his hand. She looks closely and sees a small piece of candy in a yellow wrapper. "Candy?"

He turns his hand over, dropping the candy. "Ah!" She scrambles catching it. She looks at the candy in her hand, holding it as if it were something precious. "For…For me?" she asks.

The man nods, and then puts a finger up to his lips.

"I…I won't tell anyone." She says before looking back to the candy. "Thank you…" She smiles, having found something to bring back to her grandmother.

The man smiles. "Run along now…little Ib."

"Huh?" She starts looking back up. "How do you know my na…" As she looks back up, no trace of the man can be found. "…Mister?" Ib looks all around her. "Mister, where'd you go?" She stops for a moment, thinking about what just happened. Who exactly was he? She looks back down to her hands cradling the yellow candy. If she was sure about anything, it was that what had happened was real.

"Granny, I'm back!" Ib runs back into the room, cupping the treasure in her hand.

"There you are, little Ib! I was beginning to get worried! Now, let's see what my little explorer has managed to dig up!"

Ib stops right in front of her grandmother. "Look, look!" Ib opens her hands, presenting the candy to her grandmother.

Ib's grandmother nearly loses her breath at the sight of it. "Little Ib…wh-where on earth did you get that?"

"I…" She catches herself. She made a promise to whoever was up there. "I just found it!" She hands it to her grandmother, who stares at it intently. "Is something wrong, Granny?"

"I had one just like this…so many years ago…I had found it in my pocket when I was a child, but I had no idea how it got there…"

Ib stares at her grandmother questioningly. "Really? Well, it was just there."

"This…This is truly an amazing find, little Ib!"

"So do you know the story behind it, Granny?"

The grandmother continues examining the candy. "I…I'm sorry, little Ib. I don't remember. It was so long ago…"

"Oh…"

"But…this does remind me of another story." Ib's grandmother seems in a far-off state of mind.

"Really?"

She turns to her granddaughter. "Little Ib…have I ever told you why I started traveling?"

Ib shakes her head. "No."

"Well, to tell you the truth…I was on a bit of a treasure hunt myself."

"Really? Like Indiana Jones?"

"Ha, ha, ha! Not really!"

"What were you looking for, Granny?"

"Well…to tell you the truth, I never really knew myself!"

"Wha…? Granny, how could you look for something if you don't know what it is?"

"…Because…" She looks at the candy once more. "Because I knew it was missing."

"Huh…? I don't get it, Granny."

She chuckles. "It's a little hard to explain. Anyway, I was going to wait until I found what I was looking for to eat this, but somewhere along the way, I lost it." She takes Ib's hands in hers and holds them tightly while at the same time, placing the candy, back into her hands. "I'm so happy, Ib! Thank you so much for finding this!"

"No problem, Granny!"

"I love you so much, little Ib!" She holds onto her hands tightly as she smiles.

"I…I love you, too, Granny!"

"Ib?" Ib's father walks into the room, carrying several luggages. "It's about time to go."

"Oh…okay…" She turns back to her grandmother. "Granny, will you see us off?" Silence. The grandmother says nothing, the smile frozen on her face. "Granny, we gotta go." She says more loudly. Nothing. "Granny? Granny, wake up!" Ib starts shaking her. "Granny!"

"What's going on? Mom?" Ib's father drops the luggage and runs to their side.

"Granny!" Ib yells. "Granny, talk to me! Granny! GRANNY IB!"

The doctors chalked it up to natural causes. Weeks passed. Ib's parents had to rent out two rooms to accommodate everyone at the wake. Even more people came to the funeral. And in the time that passed, little Ib remained silent. She hadn't said a word since it happened. Each day she would still cry, but not a single sound came from her mouth. After they lowered her beloved grandmother into her final resting place, people slowly began to leave. The sun began to set and more people left, paying their respects as they passed by. Ib's family also tried leaving, but Ib refused to move.

Ib's father finally works up the nerve to say something to her. "Ib…it's about time we go. Everyone is already in the car."

Ib says nothing. "…Ib, I know you're grieving." Her father says. "We all are, too. But the time to do that here has passed."

"…I just want to be left alone."

"Ib…" He's never seen Ib like this. She's always so passionate, so full of energy. It pains him to see his playful daughter so devoid of emotion. "…All right, Ib. I'll tell Mom and everyone to go on ahead. I'll stay here and keep an eye on you." He goes to the rest of the family. Ib doesn't even acknowledge him.

Minutes pass that slowly turn into hours. Ib's father watches her from afar, resting himself against the outer fence. He stayed all night, waiting for his youngest daughter who stood like a statue in front of her grandmother's grave. Eventually, his body gets the better of him, and he dozes off.

_Why?_ Ib thought to herself. _I was gonna have so many stories for you. Why'd you have to leave? It's not fair. It's not fair at all…_ Tears begin streaming from Ib's eyes. _"_I miss you so much…"

"W-WAAAAAAAH!"

"Huh?" Ib looks up from the grave. That crying didn't come from her, but from someone else. She looks around to find the source of the crying, and finds a young boy about her age huddled in front of a nearby grave. "Hey! Are you okay?" She runs over to the boy, who continues crying as loud as he can. "What's wrong?"

The boy tries to speak through his tears. "I…I MISS MY GRANDPA! WAAAAAAAH!"

Ib looks at the grave in front of them. "Oh…this is your grandpa's grave. I guess you lost someone recently too, huh?"

The boy sniffles. "He…He was the best grandpa in the whole world…and now I'll never get to see him again…or play games with him…or listen to his stories…"

"I know how you feel…I'm never gonna get to those things with my granny again, either…" Ib begins to think about all of the time she spent with her, all the laughs and adventures they shared. She then turns to the boy. "But you know what?"

"…What?"

"If you hold someone close to your heart, they're never really gone."

"…Really?"

"Uh-huh. If you can remember all the good times you had together with that person, they'll live on inside you. It's proof that they existed. Proof that you loved them and that they loved you."

"…I don't really get it…"

"…Me neither. That just sounded like something my granny would say!"

"Huh?" The boy looks at Ib, dumbfounded. "Hee…heh-heh…ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Ib blushes. "Wh-What's so funny? Stop laughing!"

After a short moment, the boy stops laughing. "Your grandma sounds smart!"

"Hee…" Ib turn's back to her grandmother's grave. "You know, I think…my granny was trying all her life to find something like that."

"…Do you think she found it?"

"…I'm not sure…"

"Huh…" The boy turns back to his grandfather's grave. "I wonder if my grandpa was looking for something, too…"

"…" Ib ponders for a moment. Then, she reaches into the pocket of her jacket and takes out the lemon candy, the last gift she received from her grandmother. She examines it carefully, and then smiles as she turns to the boy. "Hey."

The boy looks at her. "Yeah?"

Ib holds out the candy in front of him. "Wanna share?"

As the sun rises, the two walk hand-in-hand towards the cemetery exit, each with one half of the candy dissolving in their mouths.

"My name's Garry." The boy says, smiling. "What's yours?"

She smiles back. "I'm Ib." Garry and Ib continue walking together, hands gripped tightly. The light hits them so that they look like two completely different people. It's going to be a good day.


	5. Promise of Reunion

Final Epilogue: Promise_ of Reunion_

The book that she had been working on for months had finally been published. Since then, it had become famous practically overnight, making bestseller and must-read lists all over the country in less than a week, and it was currently in the process of being translated into several different languages.

Sitting at a bench in the park, Ib lays back and yawns loudly. "I need a break." She thinks out loud to herself. Over the past several days, she had been in and out of planes, appearing on talk shows and various book signings. She had just come back from Los Angeles, where she had discussed with a producer a film adaptation of her book. She walked out of that meeting with a bad taste in her mouth. But that was for another day. Finally she had time to herself, and she decided to spend it with her beloved daughter.

"Be careful, sweetie!" Ib called out. Ib had been playing with her daughter for an hour and needed to rest, but her daughter is constantly full of energy. The little girl spends her time running around on the jungle gym. As Ib watches over her daughter, she smiles. After all Ib's been through, she's happy just to be with her.

At that moment, a hand reaches out and rests on Ib's shoulder. "Having fun, Ib?" A man says from behind her.

Ib turns around to see none other than her husband of 10 years. He's wearing a blue suit and carrying a briefcase. His lavender hair is slicked back; a style that she'd always disliked but he found impressed his clients. "Garry!" Ib yells excitedly.

"Hey there, beautiful." Garry says, smiling.

Ib pulls Garry down, nearly hurling him over the bench, and kisses him. She hadn't seen her husband in what seemed like an eternity and their first kiss after all that time was like a breath of fresh air. It's one of the many things she'd been looking forward to upon her return. She wants it to last longer. They both do. But eventually Garry pulls away.

"Easy there, hon." Garry says as he sits down next to Ib. "There are kids around, and you know how she gets with the PDA."

Ib links arms with Garry. "I can't help it," she says, with a tone that makes it clear that she regrets nothing. "I haven't seen you in days! I was thinking about you two every day I was gone and it was killing me!" Ib closes her eyes and rests her head on Garry's shoulder. "I missed you, Garry. I missed you both so much..."

Garry smiles softly. "I missed you too, Ib." After another brief kiss, he turns to look at his daughter from afar. He whistles a familiar tune to the young girl, who turns to see her parents nestled together. With a big smile on her face, she waves at both of them and they wave back before she resumes playing.

Garry places his briefcase on his lap. "So I passed by a bookstore on the way here," He says as he opens up the case. "And guess what was on display in the window." He takes out a regular-sized hardcover book. On the cover is a little girl with her back turned, facing a painting of a woman wearing a red dress. The title reads _The World Beyond_. Garry takes a moment to admire his wife's work. "I heard it's a good read."

Ib shrugs. "It's a bit too real, if you ask me. The author seems so immersed in the world she's writing about to a fault." She says in a criticizing tone. "If you ask me, I think she's delusional."

For a moment, Garry is speechless. Then all of a sudden, he bursts out into laughter. "That shouldn't be funny at all!" He manages to say.

Ib laughs a little with her husband. "Honey, you're getting hysterical!" She exclaims, although she really doesn't mind. It was a while before they could really laugh about it. They were both happy to able to do so now. After a while, Garry finally begins to calm down.

"So how was the trip?" he asks. "Are we gonna see a movie any time soon?"

Ib grimaces at the thought. "I don't think it's gonna." she replies. "The direction they want to take it, it sounds like a cheesy horror film. The story's a little unsettling, sure, but I don't want it to be super scary."

"A lot of fans are expecting something. You think they'll get mad?"

"Oh, don't worry," Ib says confidently. "I'm just exploring my options. I was thinking about making it into a video game! What do you think?"

Garry looks at Ib, one eyebrow raised. "You think people will play a game like that?" he asks.

Ib kisses Garry on the cheek. "Anything's possible."

"Anything's possible, huh…" Garry takes another moment to examine the book. He opens it to the first page, which has a dedication written out to Ib's parents, him, their daughter, and an old writing professor. He turns another page to the first chapter. "So I guess you decided against the 'Based on a true story' thing, huh?"

Ib laughs. "You think anyone would believe me?" she asks.

"Guess not..." Garry turns back to the book and reads the first few sentences out loud. "_She held the handkerchief loosely in her hands, admiring it. It was beautifully made, and it even had her name on it. It was softer than any fabric she'd ever felt before. The handkerchief was a gift given to her by her parents for her birthday, and it immediately became one of her most treasured possessions. This day couldn't get any better."_

Garry closes the book and reads the cover again. "_The World Beyond…_" He contemplates the title. When asked about her inspiration to write the book during interviews, Ib always kept it a secret. Including her, there are only two people in the whole world who knew that secret. "It seems like so long ago." He says, flipping through the pages.

Ib joins her husband in skimming the book. "It has. Almost twenty-five years…"

"I remember it like it was yesterday." He says, holding up his hand, revealing the slightly faded scar of a large cut across his palm. "And I've got the scar to prove it. It's the only proof we have anymore…"

Ib takes Garry's hand and runs her finger across his scar, then kisses it. "It's all the proof we need. It's proof that you and I met each other in a completely different world, and went together on a life-changing journey." She kisses the scar again. It always makes Garry embarrassed, which is half the reason why she keeps doing it.

"If you call a series of mild heart attacks a life-changing journey, that is." Garry says, chuckling.

"It was worth it, right? Because of that, we met. We became best friends…and eventually, we fell in love." Ib slips her hand in with Garry's, and they both hold tightly.

"Yeah…for all its ups and downs, I wouldn't change a thing about it." Garry smiles. Her hand is warm against his. He remembers when his scar would hurt when it was still fresh. All Ib had to do was press down on it, and it would start to feel better. It doesn't hurt anymore, but the touch of Ib's hand instantly makes him feel better, without fail. "And now here we are."

Ib nods. "That's right. We have nice jobs, we're both happily married…" Ib pauses for a moment, she turns to their daughter, picking flowers from a bush. "…And we have a beautiful little girl."

"Yeah…" Garry trails off as he looks on with Ib. "Who would've thought, right?"

"I told you that anything's possible." Ib says with a smile.

"Yeah, but _this_…this is…"

Ib and Garry look into each other's eyes. They smiled, both knowing that the other was thinking the same thing. They remembered everything about their journey beyond the painting and they realized early on that there was one thing that they truly regretted. They smiled now for the same reason.

Ib turns back to their daughter. "Mary!" she calls. "Come on back, it's getting late!"

"Get on over here, kiddo!" Garry calls.

The little girl turns to her parents. Despite her parents' different hair colors, hers was a perfect blonde. Bright blue eyes shone through her face, which was smudged with dirt. She wore a bright green dress and what looked like a flower in her hair. And she was holding something in her hands, which she kept hidden behind her.

"Mommy!" she yells in excitement. "Daddy!" Without skipping a beat she starts running toward them, being careful to hide her hands behind her back. "Daddy, you're finally back from work!"

"Good to see you, sweetie." Garry says before he kisses her forehead.

"Oh! Mary, look at you!" Ib exclaims, looking at her daughter's dirty face. "You're filthy! Come here." Ib sticks her hand into her pocket, pulls out a handkerchief, and wipes Mary's face clean.

"Ack! Mommy, that tickles!" Mary yells through short bursts of laughter. "I'm fine, really!"

"I won't have my precious little girl walk around with her face covered in dirt." Ib says with a smile.

Mary frowns. "But it'll ruin your favorite handkerchief!"

"Oh don't worry about that, I can clean it anytime. If it's for you, I don't mind getting it a little dirty." As Ib wipes Mary's face clean, she notices the flower in her hair. "Oh, that's a pretty flower, Mary!"

Mary chuckles. "I found it in a bush! Isn't it neat? I never knew there were yellow roses!"

"It looks good on you, sweetheart." Garry says.

"I got roses for you, too!" Mary says excitedly. She removes her hands from behind her back and reveals two roses to her parents, one in each hand.

Their jaws drop. Their eyes widen. Ib and Garry stare speechlessly at the two roses that their daughter, Mary, has just presented to them.

"The blue one's for Daddy…" Mary says as she hands the blue rose to Garry. "And the red one's for Mommy!" Then she hands Ib the red rose.

The two remain stunned as they both stare at Mary's gifts to them. After a moment, they turn to each other with the same look on their face.

Mary takes in her parents' expressions and frowns. "You…You don't like them?" she asks, nearly on the verge of tears.

Ib and Garry continue to stare at each other. They look into each other's eyes, remembering everything. They remember the first moment that they met and the candy Garry gave to her. They remember the violent paintings of woman and the malicious statues. They remember the room filled with red-eyed dolls (To this day, they argue about whether or not they were cute). They remember talking to each other and laughing together in the library and under the fake sunlight to try and distract themselves from the world around them. They remember being separated by stone vines and having to leave each other, and the sadness that overwhelmed them in that time. They hold each and every one of these memories close to their hearts…memories of the horrifying, wondrous, otherworldly journey that the two of them…that the _three _of them…took together. They smile, both knowing the answer to their daughter's question. A tear rolls down Ib's cheek and they turn to their daughter.

* * *

Hand in hand, Ib, Garry, and their daughter Mary begin to walk home together. Ib and Mary both wear their roses in their hair and Garry has his rose nestled in the breast pocket of his jacket. Mary has a big smile on her face. "Daddy's home from work and Mommy's back from her trip! The three of us are finally back together!"

"This calls for a celebration!" said Ib. "How about I cook up your favorite tonight, sweetie?"

Mary says as she jumps up and down in excitement. "Yay!"

Garry smiles and nods. "Sounds good to me." he says.

Mary holds on tightly to her parents' hands. "I love you guys soooo much!"

Ib and Garry look to their daughter and smile. "We love you too, Mary." They say in unison. Then they exchange looks with each other and kiss. The three continue to walk together, each with their own special rose and smiles on their faces. Everything was all right.


End file.
